The most depressive times for me, for example, were going through a difficult divorce and becoming a single parent to two very young children while trying to start a new business, running that business several years later while supporting my spouse as he underwent cancer treatment, and now trying to live with the aftermath of what that cancer treatment did to him and to the marriage. Although the quickest response took place in the group taking antidepressants, the effects of exercise lasted longer. Try it -- and watch depression transform into feelings of happiness and well-being. Everything came to a head when I felt like I was going to fall apart at any moment, no matter how good I looked or pretended to be on the outside.After some discussion with and encouragement from family, I finally saw a doctor and explained what I was going through. The exercise effect. These guys are great -- they do so many good things for us! *Head’s up! By Dr. Tian Dayton, Contributor. I’m not a doctor. Recently I was reviewing the topics I will be writing about in my column, and I came across the topic of exercise and depression. This statistic does not surprise me a bit -- I am always shocked at the number of clients I see that are on antidepressants. You know, for those of us who on some days just can’t even bear to think of getting out of bed.1. Research on depression, anxiety and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise … In addition to improving natural immunity and reducing the perception of pain, they also serve to improve mood. I think back at a very dark time in my life years before the cancer when I wasn't exercising, and I remember just being practically catatonic. Researchers found that six months later those patients who continued engaging in regular exercise … It wasn’t that the medication hadn’t been working; it was just a hard time of life.I continued taking the antidepressants and my mental health improved. These were called the SMILE (Standard Medical Intervention & Long-term Exercise) studies. "For some people it works as well as antidepressants, although exercise alone isn't enough for someone with severe depression," says Dr. -Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Find a group to interact with through exercise, get a buddy to commit to a regular exercise time with you, or hire a certified personal trainer. For the record, depression is a common disorder that is associated with compromised quality of life, increased health care costs, and … He explained that most people oscillate between a 3 or 4 and a 7 or 8, I think it was. Exercise: The Best Antidepressant Ever? You get on antidepressants, which make you feel well enough to exercise.2. Things didn’t bother me as much as they used to. The Studies dating back to 1981 concluded that exercise can improve mood in people suffering from mild to moderate depression, and may even serve to help those suffering from severe depression. Combating depression is big business in the US. This isn’t meant to be taken as professional advice, I’m just trying to explore some of the truths around mental health. "Just this week, another client who underwent treatment for ovarian cancer two years ago said, "Exercise made all the difference in dealing with my depression through the cancer experience. Despite the fact that antidepressants may cause significant side effects such … Researchers found that six months later those patients who continued engaging in regular exercise after the study was completed were less likely to suffer from relapses of depression. All rights reserved.Studies dating back to 1981 concluded that exercise can improve mood in people suffering from mild to moderate depression, and may even serve to help those suffering from severe depression.Certified Personal Trainer, Owner of Bodyworks for Total Health, Creator of the BodyWorksBandThis post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform.